Unlike other networks, such as a wide area network and a campus network, data centers have an inherent rigid structure. When a data center is deployed, it is common for it to include a large number of network devices, each of which must be properly configured to allow the data center to function as intended. This may be accomplished by accessing each network device and performing a series of configuration steps that enable the network device to perform its specific intended function in the data center. This process typically includes a number of manual steps which are time consuming and error prone and become more so as the size of the data center increases. Additionally, the network devices must also be properly connected (e.g. wired) to both each other, and to other components in the data center that require network connectivity. The process of connecting all the network devices and components in a data center is a manual one and prone to errors. Errors in the network device configuration and connections lead to network devices and other data center components being incorrectly configured, unconnected, or incorrectly connected to the data center's network infrastructure. This leads to the data center not functioning as intended. Further, such errors can be costly to identify and repair.